Corinth-area United Way reports campaign success

CORINTH – Pledges for the 2010 Corinth/Alcorn County United Way campaign were up substantially over pledges for the previous year.
The agency celebrated the achievement with a Thanks dinner and awards program earlier this week.
The campaign total of $392,300 is about $20,000 higher than 2009 pledges, said Executive Director Betsy Whitehurst.
“We don’t usually have a tremendous amount of shrinkage, so we expect to collect a great portion of that,” she said. “People who still have jobs are seeing the need.”
The fall campaign theme was “Can You Spare and Extra Dime?” to echo the economic circumstances of the 1930s that many people are experiencing today.
Pledges and collections in 2009 were lower, and agency budgets had to be cut. Nevertheless, the Corinth/Alcorn County United Way gave substantial support to its agencies: Alpha House, Boys & Girls Club of Corinth, Boy Scouts, Corinth-Alcorn Literacy Council, Corinth SportsPlex Outreach, Corinth Welfare Association, 4-H Clubs, FFA, FCCLA, First Call for Help, Gardner-Simmons Home for Girls, Girl Scouts, High Tech Summer Day Camp, MRHC Hospice Volunteer Training, Our Resource Center, Project Attention, S.A.F.E. and the Single Parent/Displaced Homemaker Program.
Some highlights of the campaign include:
– This year’s pledges included 14 first-time givers or people who increased their donations.
– Five United Way Award recipients, businesses or industries which give substantial amounts of money or provides substantial services.
– Crossroads Cornerstone Club members included two Diamond givers, $5,000 and up; four Marble givers, $1,500-$4,999; 11 Granite givers, $1,000-$1,499; 72 Slate givers, $500-$999.
– One hundred and nineteen other individuals, professionals and businesses who donated to the campaign.
“People who can stepped up to the plate, and we were quite pleased,” Whitehurst said.